The Joy & Balance Of Monochrome

Editing Photos In Black And White Balances My Nervous System

“Contained Order” — Image by Author

I always shoot in color these days. I want a record of all the glorious colors I experience on a daily basis here in Oaxaca. Yesterday’s piece, Dia de la Independencia, would not have told the whole story if the images had been rendered in monochrome, not even close.

For the first several months here, I photographed in black and white almost exclusively. I love black and white photography. It represents my roots with the camera.

It was later, that I regretted not having those images in color. Oaxaca is all about color, the local color. The colorful buildings, the colorful public art, and graffiti, and the colorful dress of the people.

I have lots of colorful memories. I also have lots of photographs of those memories, all rendered in tones of gray. All because I thought it was cool to shoot in black and white, not realizing how limiting it was.

“Stone Wall Abstraction” — Image by Author

As I started to become comfortable with a new camera, I made sure it was always set up to shoot in one of the color film simulations. I could always edit in monochrome if I chose.